Making a goal is one thing — achieving it is something else entirely. Don’t worry, though, because we’re going to take a look at some of the most popular resolutions and introduce you to some gadgets that’ll help you succeed!

Get Fit or Lose Weight

When the new year gets rolling, one thing most people tend to want to do is drop weight or get in better shape. That’s all well and good, but most people bail long before meeting their actual fitness goals. Life gets in the way, but with some gadgets, you might just be able to force your way through and meet these aims!

Fitness Trackers

A good fitness tracker won’t perform miracles, but if you use it regularly, it can help motivate you.

If you want to know more about the top options on the market, check out our extensive article that digs into seven of the best fitness trackersThe 7 Best Fitness TrackersThe 7 Best Fitness TrackersIf you’re an active person, activity trackers provide incredibly valuable data for logging, improving, and understanding your fitness. But among the devices out there, finding the right activity tracker can be difficult.Read More out there.

High-End Smart Scales

If weight loss is your goal, you need a scale. You can certainly get by with just a regular one, but if you want data, a smart scale will serve you much better. Yes, it’ll cost more, but they’ll provide you with your Body Mass Index (BMI), calorie tracking, water weight, bone mass and for more than you’ll get with a standard scale. Like all wearables, a scale won’t do the work for you, but seeing those numbers change is a huge motivator!

Online Courses

We live in an age where you can learn just about anything you want online. And I’m not talking about spending your life savings on a degree, but rather, I’m speaking about services where you can take courses that are free (or quite cheap).

Lynda.com — There are tons of topics here, and they’re offered on a monthly subscription basis.

Udemy.com — Has paid and free courses on just about every subject you can think of — both tech and otherwise.

Khan Academy — Offers courses on tons of topics, but mostly regarded for its programming courses.

MakeUseOf Deals — We have lots of discounted lectures on all sorts of tech-related topics.

For more, make sure to check out our Self Improvement section, which features all kinds of articles that’ll help you find places to learn. Now you just need to decide exactly what you want to discover!

Read More

There’s only one device you need to start reading more, and that’s an eBook reader. For most people, that’s going to be a Kindle, though there are other devices on the market that offer similar features.

If you want to take your reading a step further, you can also get Kindle Unlimited, which lets you read an infinite number of books for $9.99 a month. Unfortunately, this doesn’t get you every single book on Amazon (that would be awesome, though), but it does give you lots to choose from. You’ll have no excuse not to read more!

Spend Time With Family

When you’re a kid, spending time with your family is easy. After all, children can’t go on a road trip with their buddies.

But as we move into adulthood, life gets in the way. Your parents, cousins, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and everyone else has their lives. People move around the world, and those moments when we get together are fleeting.

The more expensive ones will offer better video quality, but if you just want to say “Hi” to your family, you probably don’t need 60 fps and 1080p resolution.

Video Games

Another great way to “spend time” with your family is through video games. This won’t work for all family members (my dad won’t touch a video game with a 10-foot pole), but online games can be an excellent way to hang out, even if it’s just in a digital space.

Dave LeClair loves games on console, PC, mobile, handheld, and any electronic device that is capable of playing them! He manages the Deals section, writes articles, and does lots of behind the scenes work at MakeUseOf.